Due to the popularity of four-wheel drive vehicles, a number of power transfer systems are currently being used in vehicular drivetrain applications for selectively directing power (i.e., drive torque) from the powertrain to all four wheels of the vehicle. In many power transfer systems, a transfer case is incorporated into the drivetrain and is operable in a four-wheel drive mode for delivering drive torque from the powertrain to both the front and rear wheels. Many conventional transfer cases are equipped with a mode shift mechanism having a dog-type mode clutch that can be selectively actuated to shift between a two-wheel drive mode and a part-time four-wheel drive mode. In addition, many transfer cases also include a two-speed range shift mechanism having a dog-type range clutch which can be selectively actuated by the vehicle operator for shifting between four-wheel high-range and low-range drive modes.
It is also known to use adaptive power transfer systems for automatically biasing power between the front and rear wheels, without any input or action on the part of the vehicle operator, when traction is lost at either the front or rear wheels. Modernly, it is known to incorporate such a torque “on-demand” feature into a transfer case by replacing the mechanically-actuated mode clutch with a multi-plate clutch assembly and a power-operated clutch actuator that is interactively associated with an electronic control system. During normal road conditions, the clutch assembly is typically maintained in a released condition such that drive torque is only delivered to the rear wheels. However, when sensors detect a low traction condition, the control system actuates the clutch actuator for engaging the clutch assembly to deliver drive torque to the front wheels. Moreover, the amount of drive torque transferred through the clutch assembly to the non-slipping wheels can be varied as a function of specific vehicle dynamics, as detected by the sensors. Such on-demand clutch control systems can also be used in full-time transfer cases to adaptively bias the torque distribution ratio across an interaxle differential.
In some two-speed transfer cases, actuation of the range shift mechanism and the clutch assembly are independently controlled by separate power-operated actuators. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,024 discloses a two-speed range shift mechanism actuated by an electric motor and a clutch assembly actuated by an electromagnetic ball ramp unit. In an effort to reduce cost and complexity, some transfer cases are equipped with a single power-operated actuator that is operable to coordinate actuation of both the range shift mechanism and the clutch assembly. In particular, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,363,938 and 5,655,986 each illustrate a transfer case equipped with a motor-driven cam having a pair of cam surfaces adapted to coordinate actuation of the range shift mechanism and the clutch assembly for establishing a plurality of distinct two-wheel and four-wheel drive modes. Examples of other transfer cases equipped with a single power-operated actuator for controlling coordinated engagement of the range shift mechanism and the mode clutch assembly are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,645,109; 6,783,475; 6,802,794; 6,905,436 and 6,929,577.
While conventional transfer cases equipped with coordinated clutch actuation systems have been commercially successful, a need still exists to develop alternative clutch actuation systems which further reduce the cost and complexity of two-speed actively-controlled transfer cases.